Graham Garrett of The West House, in Biddenden, talks to KentOnline

Transcript

00:00When we lost the star back in about 20, I think 2020, so around COVID time,

00:06it was a fairly depressing time for everyone at that time.

00:09So, yeah, losing a star and that just before that wasn't the greatest feeling

00:14on the world, but we changed.

00:16I had a different team in the kitchen.

00:18I'd taken a bit of a step back out of the kitchen to build rooms,

00:21which we've now got.

00:22So we kind of changed from a little husband and wife run restaurant

00:26to a restaurant with rooms with other people.

00:28And clearly someone didn't like that.

00:30So, yeah, that was that was the end of that era.

00:33But we had it for 16 consecutive years for what it's worth.

00:37So, you know, that's it.

00:39You move on.

00:40Luckily, the customers didn't.

00:41They're still there.

00:42Yeah, I think I think a lot of chefs are very guilty of cooking,

00:46trying to cook for guidebooks, shall we say, and for accolades

00:49rather than cooking for customers.

00:51And it's the most important thing in the world is the customers.

00:55Without them, you don't have a business.

00:57Without that, you can't be creative and cook and do what you want in the kitchen.

01:01You know, it's all about that.

01:02It's always all about the customer.